My Guardian, My Home
by Allison Damon
Summary: After her tragic death of her camp, Alice is on her own roaming in the woods and looking for a safe haven. But as always her luck runs cold, almost dying again... if it were not for the one Daryl Dixon. The question is, why? Why would he be generous enough to to help her when all she does is burden?
1. Chapter 1

Note(s):

I do not own the walking dead universe or characters or any already established buildings/places already owned/claimed, the copyright is not mine. This stands for the whole story. I do however own my character and other fictional characters added; those are mine. Sorry for any mistakes and I hope you enjoy. Also, I will try to update once every week or at least two-three a month. If that doesn't happen something has come up, but hopefully that won't happen much. Please like, comment and follow! ( ;

From Thy Writer,

~ Allison Damon

How

* * *

I stare at the asphalt as my eyes sting and blur with unshed tears of grief. I am officially alone in this horrid world of death. My whole camp was overrun by a horde of walkers passing through are area and we were unprepared. The dreadful memory of death is fresh and it haunts me with every slow passing second with agony. I can't divert my mind elsewhere, seeing as it is impossible to bury it in the deep dark corners of my mind. It refuses to be hidden. And as I sit here in my grief, I play the whole scene over in my head…

* * *

The scent of fish being fried and canned beans heated wafted through the air and hit my nostrils and I breathed it in. It smelled wonderful and made my stomach growl with more force than before. My mouth watered with hunger and anticipation as I await the meager meal soon to be served to me. It wasn't much but it was better than nothing, like the past few days filled with fruitless scavenging and raids. And it will be a step closer to hopefully putting fat over my prominent ribs, which stood out with pride. Most of my fellow people are worried I might be prone to less energy and more hindering illnesses, because of my dilemma of being underweight. They have gone so far in preventing more weight loss that one of the older members each skip a meal if necessary so I don't have to (because lord knows I have done it several times; I just can't stand to see anyone starve).

Right now, my people were watching me like a hawk. I nearly collapsed today during a raid for supplies (I'm one of the front liners when it comes to raids and battling the dead). A strong wave of dizziness had hit me, making my vision spotty and fuzzy. If it were not for Diana I would have been a goner and be bitten by a geek. So here I am, not allowed to set foot off the back of the old blue truck until I am fully hydrated and filled with a warm meal. During this, I entertained myself by cracking jokes and pointing out ridiculous things. Because even though times were dark in the world and my group, I tried to be strong for them and in turn acted optimistic. While I tried to lighten the, no one noticed the walkers coming through until it was too late.

They entered from the west side of the camp, inviting themselves in by crushing the wooden fence with their combined weight. And I watched in fear and shock as my group one by one was picked off by the flesh eating monsters. I couldn't move or breathe, as I sat there frozen in place. Nothing pulled me out of this state, not even the three walkers that limped slowly towards me. Not even the reasonable part of my mind usually apparent shine through, and the only reason I lived was a bitten teen in my camp…my best friend Jamie. He shook me hard and ordered me to leave and run as fast as I can, never to look back. I argued with him for as long as I could but he wouldn't have it. And the worst thing is, he had me agreeing at some point because…he had me at Lily. Not after the second I agreed, he shoved a backpack full of food, supplies and a few small weapons in my hand along with an axe. Ignoring my weak state, I stumbled off of the back of the truck and took off into a run. I could feel the presence of adrenaline pumping through my veins.

I don't know how long I traveled further and further away but I finally stopped at a small town. My breath was heavy and labored and I noticed the sky was dark. I didn't try to raid for any necessary supplies but only looking for a safe haven. I had to walk down the road a bit but I finally found one. It's nothing fancy, since it will only serve as a temporary hideout. It's a small little light blue shack with a broken mailbox and a tiny yard. Its roof was caving in a bit but it would make due. I let my eyes scan it and from doing so I noticed a stack of wooden crates beside the mailbox. I make a beeline for it and instantly plopped heavily down on it and let my grief run wild. The only change I gave myself room to notice other than danger, was the sky getting lighter…

* * *

And that is where I am now, grieving for the loss of my group. I only blame myself and not any of the campers…especially the older campers. If it weren't for my distracting them, someone would have seen the geeks and sounded the alarm. They would put the children safely away in the bus and guard them till it was safe. And all of the elders would be fighting front line, protecting everyone. But no, this is all my fault and I know I will never get to take it back. The more and more I let my thoughts of depression fester, the more I become lost. I don't have a clue to how I can be breathing right now but I give it all to my deceased best friend.

I don't drag myself from my spot until the sun was up in the sky bright as ever, contrasting my mood. I decide to get a move on in raiding the town and getting the heck out of here. I need to find something to eat in order to travel to another location soon. I can't fight any walkers or my apparent weakness right now without food. So I walk slowly down the road, on the lookout for decent raids and stray geeks. I don't find anything interesting or at least half that until I reach the end of the road. It's a good condition how, which means someone has recently been living here. Maybe I can find a few useful things in there…maybe. I inch towards it slowly, covering ground at a safe pace. My snail pace lasts till I'm on the front porch. I open the door gently, wincing at the squeak of the hinges.

It's in mint condition but looks as if no one lives here. One threat is off my list, so I can take a safer precaution for this raid. I first check the bedrooms, the four of them, then check the living room and sitting room. Nothing. I then check the bathrooms to only find a small half used medical pack…better than nothing. I then go for my final destination-the kitchen. I rummage through all of the drawers then cabinets. I find a meager selection of food and I stuff it in my backpack along with a kitchen knife and an army canteen. Hm, must have been military. All the way up till this point, current health status hasn't bothered me or hindered my raid skills. But right after placing everything in my back, a sudden dizziness hit me like a freight train. I stumbled back into the counter and in turn collapsing on the floor tiles. And as my luck ran cold, it decided to freeze over completely.

A geek burst through the closet door that apparently, wasn't latched all the way. It limped towards me at an alarming pace and I immediately start to weakly scoot backwards, pushing myself against the cabinets. This is it, I am going to die. But I realize that it's not as bad as it seems, even though part of me still panics and denies it. But either way, I observe the walker as it comes closer and prepare myself for the bit. The walker gets within five feet of me before a miraculous miracle happens. Some man with a cross bow slung over his back busts through the window over the sink, glass raining around and on me. I can just make out his features as my vision dims. He has medium length black hair that is tall enough and wears leather. His jaw is hard set and has a bit of scruff on it and looks experienced in this ugly world. He stabs the infected in the head with a knife and my vision blackens.

The last thing I feel is my bag and axe being taken away and arms snaking their way around my neck and under my legs…


	2. Chapter 2

Note(s): I don't own The Walking Dead universe, franchise or any other established building/thing that is owned by others. I'm so sorry that I have not updated in a bit. I have been in a few performances and got side tracked with this. The next chapters should come quicker, *SHOULD*. I hope you love the chapter. Thank you for commenting, following and liking my stories! Please comment, follow and like. ( ;

From Thy Writer,

~ Allison Damon

Chapter 2

Consciousness taps me on the shoulder, waking me out of the darkness that fills my head. My head feels stuffy and full of cotton, and my senses are dull. Another thing I become aware of is the ache in my body which has mostly set into my bones. Oh, how I wish my body would be numb at the moment. It would be such bliss. But since I don't even get that kind of bliss, I decide that I want to know what's happening at the moment. So I strain to open my eyes, but no matter how hard I try they are made of lead. But with that failing, I shoot for hearing something instead. It takes me a bit but I eventually take in the crunching of gravel, moaning of geeks and…multiple voices? How odd, but I do remember the man in leather. Now that I think of it, he has probably moved me into a different location. I'm pretty sure of this because if I remember correctly there's no gravel in the quaint town I temporarily lived in. I then turn my attention to the voices around me. They're different mix of pitches and genders of males and females and all that fancy jazz. I try to catch any words and conversations floating around me but I can't grab hold of anything. My mind is too sluggish to work through and connect anything. It troubles me a lot to come to this revelation. And I start to bring up depressing things that could happen…

A sudden jerk brings me back to the present, which sends discomfort shooting through my body. I don't mean to but I let out a groan of protest slip through my lips and in turn alerts the voices of my consciousness. Instantly I feel a gentle shift and feel myself being lain down on a flat hard surface. I don't like this-being lain on an uncomfortable surface and I'd rather be pressed against something warm again. I again emit a soft sound of protest at this and try to shift my body. But this impromptu plan is put to a halt because of the vice grips holding me into place which in turn taking my freedom of movement away. 'Oh come on! Just leave me alone in peace!' I think with irritation and desperation. But of course I never get my way, and now a stupid insistent hand keeps tapping my cheek. And a voice keeps calling to me with urgency. At first I consider ignoring all of these attempts to rouse me fully, but the logical side of me reminds me of the stupidity in this. I put all my strength and determination into the task of prying my eyes open. And I don't succeed in this task, at least not until a minute or two afterwards.

The first thing that greets my eyes is the blinding sunlight and three different people. I move my eyes to the first person-who ironically is the man in leather, who rescued my life from an infected. 'Wait…maybe I shouldn't use that adjective. It makes me feel as if I am a damsel in distress-which by the way I am not nor will I ever be.' I think to myself with a sure mind. I then let my eyes wonder to the next person. He's a tall Asian man with black hair and kind and honest eyes. And I know for sure that I can trust him, something informs me I can. The third and final person is an average height man who is middle age-or at least that's how it seems. He has a full scruffy beard and medium length hair which are both graying and his eyes and the way he holds himself like a leader. 'This is good. Living people who won't eat my face off is definitely a thumbs up for me.' I tell myself in positivity with an optimistic attitude. I don't realize it but I get stuck in mind until the man in leather pats my cheek a few times just like as it was earlier. I blame my unresponsive and spacey attitude on my current state of health. I snap my attention to him and listen to what he is trying to say.

"Are ya with me? It's about time! Been callin ya to pay attention for a while now." He said to me in annoyance and it shows very clearly on his face.

"Would you stop? You're going to make cooperate less." A dark fair skinned women tells him in amusement, and it seems like she's trying to lighten the mood or break the ice as most would call it.

"She'll cooperate jus fine." He replies to her with confidence and cockiness. Then he states a several more words, following up with his previous statement. "Besides, she'll last through the questionin. She lasted with the walkers before this."

"He's got me on that one." She states to me with an odd joyous defeat that astounds me. No sadness is in these words at all, and it makes me think-what an odd group. "But…intimidating her will still get you nowhere." She tells him with fake arrogance and in turn starts a debate between the two. Oddly enough, it doesn't bother me but amuses me instead. But after a few moments of this going on, I decide its best to just interrupt while I can.

"As interesting as this debate of intimidation is, I would really like some of my answers to m questions-preferably. Ya know the simple ones-who, why and where." I croak, butting into their amusing conversation. Uhg, my throat feels like a desert. The discomfort must show on my face because next thing I know he's pulling out a bottle of water.

"Here, take a drink of this." He then proceeds to help sit me up and support me so I can drink the beverage he offers to me. He monitors my water intake and only letting me take sips of it. I guess so I don't have a vomiting session and I greatly appreciate this, I really don't feel like going through this. After a few minutes of monitored water intake, he takes it away and focuses his gaze on me. "All right, I'll answer yer questions."

"Uh, ok. Who are y'all?"

"I'm Daryl." The man in leather informs me.

"I'm Michonne and that's Rick." She introduces herself and the leader with the scruffy gray beard.

"Ok, cool. So where are we?"

"Twenty miles from where ya collapsed and this is my group's camp." Daryl tells me straight to the point.

"Why did you help me? I mean-you could have left me to die and you didn't have any reason to. So I'm curious as to why?"

"It's not right ta leave ya for dead. Everybody her agrees with me." The Asian man tells me. His whole answer is full of candor and it makes it hard not to believe it. "And I have to say you're probably really smart for lastin-"

"She's stupid that's what she is!" Daryl interrupts and objects at the Asian's statement. "Almost got killed, made a mistake. Ain't no room for mistakes. She's not Smar-"

"I am not stupid! If I'm stupid I would have stayed with my group when the walkers took over my camp and killed all of them! I could have stayed and DIED! And if I didn't die there, I would have died with the man who is most likely to escape and abuse me agai-" I interrupt but eventually cut myself off. Crap, I revealed too much. I freeze up and reprimand myself for blurting out all the information that is suppose to stay unspoken of. Man, I can't even keep my own secrets at this point…and it's pathetic. I then start to chew on my bottom lip in a fit of nerves that overcome me as I await their reaction. And just as I have, they all freeze in shock. If I wasn't so afraid, I would have been laughing at their expressions. I know it's all over with now. They're going to interrogate me and hate me. They will kick me out and let the walkers have me for lunch and it will suck. Oh, God I'm dead. I'm so dea-wait…if I carry this out right I can make a dash for it and nows the perfect time. They are distracted right now in their moment of shock so I better do it now. I don't have time to think on this so I just role with it. I quickly hop off the table and grab my things at the same time and dart out of there.

I don't go on jogging for too long, so I'm pretty sure I have on been traveling for a mile somewhere in the woods. I notice that I am by a small stream and a huge rock beside it. I move towards the rock and sit my tired and aching body on it. It's all over with now. It's because of my stupid tongue I ruined my one chance in living a safer place. And now I'm at the bottom of the chain, the great surviving chain. They probably think I'm some kind of freak with odd luck that will run out. And maybe they're right; maybe I am some type of freak that ruins everything. I mean Eric always told me this and I lived with him; he was my guardian. And the sad thing is, the more I think about it the more I believe it. Uhg, this is so frustrating! I hunch over and let my head fall heavily in my awaiting hands. This is so pitiful…I feel so useless. I sit like this for a while and I don't know how much time passes. But the only thing that brings me out of the infinite time world in my mind, is the rustling sound near me. Twenty feet away, I think.

I quickly swing my head up quickly and try to decipher what direction it's coming from. The noise consists of snapping twigs and crunching leaves and shuffling. I'm not able to locate it until it repeats a couple of time. It's on the front left of me. I silently slip off of the rock and prepare myself to attach. Raising my axe high, I wait till the unknown comes around a tree separating me from it. I keep enough tension in my arms to keep power in my swing. And when the body comes around, I aim for the head and swing. 'Oh sh- crap!' It's a living person! I instantly redirect my swing seeing as it's too late to stop the motion. My blade ends up in the tree three inches away from his head. I instantly let go of the axe and stumble backwards in panic and shock.

"I…uh I'm so sorry! I swear I did not know you where not a geek. If I would have known, I wouldn't have swung!"

He didn't say anything to me, but only walking past me. I stand there for a few minutes then decide to sit back on the rock if nothing is going to happen. I stare at the woods floor while I sit here. We stay there in silence for fifteen minutes, though it feels like hours to me. He looks as if he is going to speak yet not having the right words to say. It's that or he's trying not to explode with well hidden and controlled anger. He paces and stays in this silence and considers for a few more minutes. It's agonizing; I don't know if he's going converse with me calmly or shout at me in anger-I think he's feeling a bit of both at the moment. Suddenly he spins around facing me, with a serious face and opens his mouth. And I wait for the words to fly, fearing for the worst. One thing's for sure, he has my full attention…

"What ya just did was completely stupid of ya."

"I know…"

"And ya ought ta have yer hide ripped off."

"Yeah…"

"Ya understand I won't have it around me."

"Yes sir…"

" Good…ya gonna come back ta camp?"

"…yeah." I reply to him in shock but quickly snap out of it. I slip off the rock and go over to the tree to grab my axe. I sling my back over my shoulder.

He directs a curt nod towards me and starts heading back to the camp. "Follow me 'n' don't get lost."

"I won't." I tell him with amusement slithering through me.

"Good, cause I'd leave yer bratty ass out here."

"Harhar, very funny." I reply sarcastically but truly feeling amusement in this part of the conversation.

"F****** hilarious." He tells me seriously.

Everybody is still in the place I left them, when I had impulsively darted from the area. They're huddling around the flat surface that I was laid on previously-an old table. All of them are chatting away, they are all serious faced and holding weapons of some sort. It confuses me so much-I mean this whole group is odd. They looks as if they are all ready to scatter, but why would the-oh. I get it now…it's a search party. Oh my god, they were going to look for me! It is so amazing! But the question is, why? Why would they want to look for me? I don't mean anything to them so it doesn't make sense, even if the probably explained to me earlier. I better not question the opportunity that is being placed before me on a silver platter. I watch them as we get closer and one of the members turn around when the person hears us.

"Look, Daryl found her!" A slender young woman with camo shorts voices to the others. A previous military server, from what I can tell with the gear and stance. I wonder if there are any oth- "Woe, ok! What are you doing?" I spill out in panic as I feel someone pick me up from the back. I pivot my head around to see who has decided to bug me. Black hair, a bit shorter, different voice-the Asian. Ok, not cool; not cool. Then I start to wiggle and struggle, determination filling my veins. I will not be carried like this, I have legs.

"Put me down!"

"Sorry, I can't do that." He informs me.

"Why not!?"

"Because you look like you're about to collapse and you're not doing so great in health wise. I mean you were wobbling like Bambi when he started to walk."

"Who said I would collapse? And Bambi, really?"

"Yes, Bambi. And I really don't feel like finding out if you will collapse or not."

"Would you stop with the vice grip? It's annoying. And put me down! I'm serious, if you DON'T put me down right no-"

"Alright, enough talking for you." He tells me while covering my mouth with his hand. He then finishes the rest of the way to the old table and sets me on top of it. Maneuvering so that he can look me right in the face while still able to hold his hand over my mouth, he addresses me with a stern look. "If you do not calm down, I will restrain you accordingly to what the situation calls for. Are we clear?" Man, he's acting like an older brother that I never had. It reminds me of my old friend in Atlanta. He was an Asian too; his name it Glenn. Man, do I miss him. But anyways, it's very interesting to think about. And as nice as it would be to replay to him and be obedient, I'd rather give into temptation and resist.

"Luluawl." Instantly he reacts to me, being forced into shock and indignant.

"Son of a-did you just lick me!?" He yells and yanks his hand away to wipe away the spit I applied to his hand.

"Yes I did! You asked for it!"

"Why you little-" He lunges for me and I instantly slide to the other end of the table which makes him land on the table with an 'Umph'.

"If you don't want my spit covering your hand you should have thought about that earlier!" I reply to him snarkily and with a smug tone following through. My win fills me with triumph and I let a grin breaks out on my face. The frustration and the contradictory amusement masks his face. And in the background, most of the campers are laughing and the others who aren't are smiling. I guess they're warming up to me quickly. The Asian then let's a grin cover his face rests back on a vehicle behind him. This gives me a chance to just look at him, and every minute I'm around him something nudges me. He's all very familiar to me but I don't know why I haven't had a lot of friends when growing up. But the more and more I look at him, the more and more it comes back to me and then it clicks. I know him, I used to see him in Atlanta all the time. One of my few best friends, Mr. Glenn Rhee and excitement bursts through me.

"Glenn!" I blurt out and launch at him to crush him in a hug. I guess he predicted this already because he meets me halfway.

"I knew you'd catch on soon!"

"You know Glenn?" A kid asks me, who looks to be about fifteen years old.

"Yeah." I tell him and the look on his face informs me he wants to know more. "I've known him since I was thirteen when I moved to Atlanta. The most awesome person I know." Just as I was about to explain more, the man with the graying beard steps forward; looking right at me.

"My name is Rick Grimes and I'm the leader of this group. I want you to know that if you're going to stay in this camp I don't want any stunts like today's pulled. It can jeopardize the camp and yourself."

"Yes sir, I won't do it again."

"Good, well…"

"Alice."

"Alice, welcome to the group."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Note(s): So, sorry for not posting in a while. I have been really busy but I have been reprimanding myself for not posting. I hope you like it and enjoy yourself in the process. You know the drill-like, comment and follow. 3

From Thy Writer,

Allison Damon

Today is actually really nice surprisingly, seeing as we are living right in the middle of the apocalypse. But you know, right now I'm going to keep the good days and throw away the terrible ones; at least I'm trying to. And right now I'm trying to erase the bad ones for now, and enjoy today. I mean it's beautiful; the rays of sunshine are warming me to the bone while sitting on the porch steps of the old house I'm on. It would be nice to walk around right now, and that thought that pops up in my head makes me remember the current dilemma at hand which in turn makes me scowl in annoyance. Rick informed me this morning that I could come out of the room…but there was a catch. I had to sit on the porch and not move unless I'm going inside to rest, which is what I'm doing right now at this given moment. I've only known Rick for a few days and I know that he is very strict and protective and a bit intimidating. Not intimidating as in scarring me, but as in he's going to break. I can tell so much that he is on the verge of breaking, if not done already. But I can understand, everybody has a breaking point especially in this world. In this world everyone will break, no matter if you have a strong will and is tough as nails. I know this for a fact because after my step sister died my father lost it…it happened when I was seven and I have many souvenirs to always remember it. I guess he felt as if he lost everything, even though he still had me. But if I think about it, he was never really fond of me from the start seeing as I am the step child to him and not blood. But his logic has always been confusing and a little sketchy to me, his words never made any sense and his arguments always came out invalid. But the main thing he wanted me to understand was the key thing he wanted, he told me that I will always be wrong and he will be right forever and always. But he was wrong and I was right, I only found this out when the apocalypse started. I wish I would have found this out sooner because so many things would have turned out so much better and so many other people wouldn't have died. I kno-

"Hey! Earth to Bambi! Are you even listening? Of course not, your head is in the clouds just like always. You need to listen more and pay attention, man I don't know how you made it this far if you still do that a lo-"

"Glenn!"

"What?"

"Shut up. And by the way, the reason I wasn't listening was I got lost in my head. You do the same exact thing! Also, I wasn't that bad when I was alone because I didn't have that kind of luxury until now."

"If that helps you sleep at night…"

"That's it! You are going down!"

"Au au au, you're not allowed to get up from the porch unless going inside, orders say."

An indignant expression crosses my face, but fades into a smirk of satisfaction. "You're right; I can't get up unless going inside." And once that seeps out of my mouth, a look of fear crosses his face; he's waiting for the great plan that is in my mind. "What's wrong Glenn? You're not afraid are you?" A change my face to one of innocence next and await his reaction. "Whaaaat…ppfft no. I'm just…indulging and humoring you." Oh yeah, he's so afraid…I've about got him shaking. I lean back and let my fingers wrap around the round unknown object that I plan to throw at him. In quick precise movements I pick up my arm and fire the object at his head. It hit the destination with a sound like flicking an apple and he topples over backwards and lands on his butt with an umph of shock. The look on his face is priceless and I lean backwards laughing with joy and smugness. I sit here just laughing for at least five minutes when he actually comes to realization to what just happened. He sputters and stutters out alphabet sounds with a look of helplessness. He then picks himself up slowly and rubs his head tenderly. And then he looks as if he could kill me, which sort of frightens me in a way. He then steps forward and stretches his arms out in a fast movement and grabs me. I guess he intends to throw me over his shoulder and spin me around. But before he can throw me over his shoulder, he was detached from me and yanked back from me. And lo and behold Daryl Dixon himself is holding Glenn, and looks as if he could kill him.

"What the hell do you think you're doing? Rick said not to rile Little Red up, she's supposed to rest."

"Well, you know…I was just…okay I was messing with Bambi. She looked bored and she kinda started it. And it wouldn't have hurt her anyhow." It's amazing how scarred and intimidated and hilarious all at the same time.

"It's ok, he's right. I started it and pushed it forward."

* * *

After continuous begging and bugging Rick, he let me get off the porch and roam around as long as it's in the boundaries. It took hours of persuasion and when persuasion got through it also took another step to actually roam around. The next was convincing Rick that I feel just time, which took about a thirty minute check up just to deem me healthy enough. And even now he orders the others to keep an eye on me. I know all of them but only as acquaintances and not on a personal level like Glenn; or my new relationship with Rick and the odd acquaintance/relationship with Dixon. It's just names with faces; I don't know likes, dislikes or personalities. But I don't have to know everyone just yet; I'm ok with just taking it slow and steady. I enjoy getting to know people on my own time, if and when I get to. I shake the line of thoughts out of my head and focus on the scenery around me. Even though everything is old, it has a nice rustic look that matches perfectly with the tall grass and fully blossomed tree and small flowers. It's all beautiful in a mourning and tragic ways that are lost in this new world of terror and horror. Too bad anything like this is lost to the world now, but at the same time I can see the reason behind forgetting it. When freaks walk and wake from death, there are a lot of things that go forgotten. I stretch out my arm and open my palm, running my hand over the leaves of the trees. I then slide my hand over and touch the rotting fence beside the tree and memorize the rough and choppy texture. I move to the next tree a few feet away and look up into it seeing if I can climb it. I haven't done that in years and I really want to catch a view of more scenery. I position my hiking boot on the tree and grab a limb and just as I start to hoist myself up…a scream echoes through the yard.

* * *

I jump over a broken bench and jog up to the house, doubling over in exhaustion. My stamina isn't up to par yet seeing as I am still weak in the limbs still. I push myself back up and search for the area where the scream's location. I don't spot anything immediate so I move to investigate the area, grabbing a sturdy wooden steak to use to protect myself. I keep my steps light and silent and slow so nothing can pick up noise. Even at the slow pace I make it to the house and on the porch in no time at all. I lay myself flush against the wall and prod the door open gently and peek in stealthily. What I see startles me, there is blood smeared on the walls and moaning behind one of the walls. I lick my dry cracked lips and move slowly into the house while trying to ignore the similarity of the situation now and my previous camp. I traverse through the living room first and take in the blood and broken furniture and struggle; soon I am sneaking through the hall and looking into the rooms. Nothing. I then go back through the house and into the kitchen and find two walkers and the body of one of my new camp mates. It is the other new girl they picked up; a blonde girl in her preteen years. I stare at her corpse body for a few seconds to let it sink in and then I lung to kill the two walkers in front of her. I then proceed to stab her in the head to prevent her from becoming a geek; I don't want her to become one. After that is done, I move from the kitchen to the living room and stand there thinking about the girl on the floor who would never live to see the cured world-if it ever comes at all. I know I have done the right thing by not letting her turn-I know I'd never want a fate like that. If I were to die, I want to die as me and not as a diseased geek. Hopefully the others in the group won't be angry at me for doing this, maybe they will understand-at least I hope they do. But right now I have to worry about the problem at hand, and that is figuring out if there are other geeks on the property at this moment. And just as I start to step forward to look for other supplies to help defend myself, yells ring through the air with gun shots accompanying them. I dart out of the living room and through the door, making my way towards the general area of the ruckus. But I don't get to go to the general area because the yard is filled with walkers and a lousy wooden steak isn't going to cut it with a big number of them. I freeze because this is going to be my death and I'm going to become a walker…and if this is my fate I might as well go down fighting and actually save the others in the group.

So I lung forward and stab a walker in the head, and this becomes a pattern. One walker turned to five, and five to ten; soon I just loose count. This feels continuous and never ending, and I'm sure this has gone on for an hour now. I can feel it in my limbs and with the lack of stamina it definitely takes a toll on me. I must look as tired as I fell, that's for sure. The next event for the few seconds is a blur, all I know is that I stumble over something-probably a body and fall to the ground. Then everything clears and I see several walkers limping towards me slowly. I can't get up; my limbs are heavy and useless and I lost my wooden steak somewhere in the fall. I look around for a weapon even though I know there are none and I can't fight with the exhaustion that covers my body like a blanket. All I want to do is close my eyes and sleep, for the bone deep sleepiness to bring me to unconsciousness. But I keep my eyes open, and it's a good thing that I do because I am saved once again. Daryl shoots the walkers around me with his crossbow, retrieves all the arrows, shoulders the crossbow and picks me up bridal style just like last time. He jogs up to a van that I didn't even know they had and puts me in and climbs in beside me and slams the door shut. He then makes sure I won't fall off the seat as the van drives away; hitting all the freaks in the process. We all get out except for the blonde preteen and just travel without stops or raids of any kind; we just drive. Everybody in the car is tense and quiet, sitting rigid in their seats. Most of the camp is in back while some are up front, and of course Daryl and I are in the middle area. I'm glad no ones in the middle so I don't have to endure their looks of pity or grief. Right now I have the freedom to just sit without stares; the only downside is that I am extremely uncomfortable position which hurts my back with random shots of pain. But I don't complain, I just endure it but someone still notices-Daryl to be specific. He nudges me and makes me spread out; my feet are at the widow and he positions me where I'm leaning on him. The new position is extremely comfortable because. It strikes me as odd to have him do this for me because I don't know why he would-I mean it's his water not mine. And he has no reason to help take care of me because I'm neither his responsibility nor anyone else's.

We must of drove for hours but I don't keep up with the time because of my dozing state. But when we do finally stop, Daryl nudges me and forces more water down my throat along with a small snack to eat from his bag. He monitors me and makes sure I've done what he wants and is pleased. He also tells me that I cannot come out of the van unless I'm told to, to which Rick agrees with whole heartedly. So I sit there listening to the group's chatter and sip my water as I sit there content to rest after the event that has just taken place. They discuss on what our next move is- where we will go, what places to raid and how much to ration for the next few days. They strategize for hour and a half before deciding on where we are going. Once the general direct is set, Rick pairs everybody off with someone to stick with. I expect to be paired with Rick himself or Glenn because those sound like the most likely pairs but instead of that Rick pairs me up with Daryl.


	4. Chapter 4

Note(s): Another Chapter for my awesome Readers! I want to thank all of you for reading my work and following/commenting/liking. You are all amazing! I hope you enjoy what I have written for you. Again sorry for making any mistakes I will go back over all of the chapters soon and search for more.

From Thy Writer,

Allison Damon

Chapter 4

After Rick informs me that I am paired with Daryl, he proceeds to transfer me to a vehicle. It's a small gray car with soft fabric that is colored with light blue crossed with a tab bit of a very light grey. The seats itself are comfortable and are able to recline back for someone to sleep in-specifically me. I'm still so exhausted from this last invasion and I just really want to pass out in the car and sleep this terrible feeling off. And I think Daryl understands because once Rick sets me in the car, he replaces Rick with himself and instantly reclines my seat back. He then covers me with a small blanket and shuts the door, muttering about how I over did it. I let a small smile creep onto my face, no matter how odd Dixon is he always catches me off guard and makes me smile; especially the caring side of him that he shows through small things. With that I wipe the rest of my thoughts out of my head, and I close my eyes and let my mind and body shut off. I pass out just like I said I wanted to and I'm so out of it that I don't hear or feel anything around me; I don't hear Daryl open or close the door, the start of the car or the car actually in motion.

But do wake up when we hit a particularly deep pothole; it jolts me awake when bouncing me up and causes me to hit the roof of the car. I let a sound of surprise out, then sit up and rub my head and blink and rub the rest of the sleep out of my eyes. Huffing in annoyance, I drop my hands from my face and head and take a peak around to see where we are at. I honestly don't know where we are at and it doesn't help that 1) nothing looks familiar and 2) we have no specific place we are traveling in any sense. I glance over at Daryl and observe that his face is relaxed and peaceful-and it's the first time I have ever seen that type of expression on his face and it's nice to see. I don't want him to see me staring on him and so I look out at the window instead. I watch the trees fly by and the green and tan grass plus the occasional geek limping or dragging itself when it goes by. It's relatively boring but it's definitely better than being in danger…but I know there will be more danger by the end of the night, because most always never goes in our favor except maybe occasionally. Always be prepared for anything, and never be ignorant of the world.

"Where are we going?" I speak as I glance at him with curiosity and a raised eye brow. "Somewhere." That's all I get, no more and no less surprisingly. "Are we looking for somewhere to stay or is there somewhere specific that was hidden from me?" I admit that I say this with a bit of snark and a lot of question. I pierce my lips as he shoots me a warning look that says it all-'Watch your mouth or I'll pull this car over right now and beat your ass.' And I decide that I like my ass the way it is, so I'm not going to provoke him. "Sorry." I mutter while looking down in a bit of shame. "It's ok, just don't do it again. We are looking for somewhere to stay." I nod and turn my head back to the window and lean against it, blowing my breath on it, which makes a fog patch on the surface. I don't know how long we drive along the road but it feels like hours upon hours and it's so _**boring**_. It gets to the point where I fidget in my seat and alternate between tapping my fingers and feet every single second. If it annoys Daryl I'll never know, he doesn't reprimand me about moving. I give out a huff and shift in my seat once again and keep my eyes on the scenery. And what I see makes my stomach sink with dread; a horde of walkers are in the middle of the road and bunched up on the sides. I instantly reach down take out the knife given back to me by Rick that's strapped to my leg. Glancing over at Daryl, I see he is stretching around to the back seat to grab his crossbow. Moving my eyes back to the road, I notice that the walkers are now walking towards up…and a large object in our path? "Daryl!" I scream and grip the seat with all my might as we collide with the huge object.

* * *

Every part of my body is in complete agony, and becomes more prominent as I come closer and closer to consciousness. I groan in pain and peel my eye lids open to see what the damage is. Instantly I let out a startled breath out, finding myself upside down because of the car being upside down. Glancing over I observe that Daryl is still unconscious, his cross bow laying between us and my knife stuck to the ceiling between us also. Licking my lips I move one hand to the belt button and the other pressed up on the ceiling in order to cushion my fall in some sort of way. I click the button and feel myself instantly drop; my head thumps the ceiling lightly and my body lands after. Breathing out, I let myself rest for a moment; after a few minutes I maneuver myself so that I am sitting up straight. Reaching for the knife, I go to pull it out; once out I grab my small pack and Daryl's too. I then pull his cross bow all the way towards me and sling that over my shoulder with the rest of the stuff. Scanning the car, I look to see if there are any other supplies we need; spotting a couple of hand guns and ammo, I take them also and shove them into one of the bags. Continuing to my next move, I flatten myself down and try to spot any walkers outside…none-at least I hope. Bringing myself back up, I move myself to where my back is facing Daryl and my feet to the door; then I proceed to kick at it. It takes a bit but I do get the door to open. I climb out with all of the supplies and stand on a bit of shaky legs, ignoring it I speed walk around the car to the driver side. Crouching down, I place my hands on the door handle and pull with all my might. It must be that I am blessed with adrenaline because the door pops open with a loud _**screech**_. Crap; I instantly stand up and look for walkers that might be attracted to the sound. None…I crouch down once more and proceed to drag Daryl straight out-which is done easily seeing as he isn't wearing his seat belt.

I then drag him off the road and over the slope leading into the woods; and I drag him for miles and look for a safe place to stay. I find an old house that looks sturdy enough to house someone. I prop him up against a tree and leave the cross bow and a gun with him in case he wakes up. I then walk up towards the house and up the old wooden steps that creak with my weight. Arriving at the door I then open it slowly, it squeaks and makes me wince with fear and annoyance. I search the whole house; clearing walkers and taking supplies to the main room. It takes around an hour or two plus me going to check on Daryl periodically to actually fulfill the task and it takes a lot of work in my injured state; but when I'm done I finally get to move Daryl and his weapons from against a tree to the into the house. That proves to be the most difficult of all, because I don't have that much strength left. And proving it, it takes a whole half hour to drag him to the porch, up the stairs, through the door, into the house and on the old springy couch. After actually completing _**everything**_, I sit down on the floor by the window and keep watch for any sign of danger. It's always sad to realize that once the adrenaline seeps out of your veins the ignored pain and exhaustion makes itself present. I feel all the aches deep in my bones and behind my eyes; especially since I have to keep my eye lids open in order to keep watch. It makes me want to rest everything about myself even more right now and sleep like a rock. But I know I can't so I wipe the thoughts out of my head and just focus on keeping my eyes trained on the world outside of the house. I just wish I realized when my eyes closed…

* * *

"…ake up. Come on now. You gotta wake up."

_**Oh**_ come on, why can't I just be left alone; all I want to do is sleep for a while more. Wait a minute, sleep? Oh, crap! My eyes fly open and my head jerks up once I realize I fell asleep on watch. I almost jump back and slam myself into the wall; Daryl is right in from of my face. Oh god, this is going to end so badly. Licking my lips, man I just realized that it's becoming a habit, I push myself into a more comfortable sitting position. "Uh…" Is all I can really get out because of 1) my seriously dry throat and 2) I don't know what to say. I keep looking at him to see if I can catch wind of what may come next. "Come on now, get your ass up. That's right, up you go." He grabs a hold of my arms and helps me up; surprisingly he doesn't let go but instead leads me from the window and to the old house. Then he pushes me down onto it, also relieving me of my weapons along with the bag slung over my shoulder. It just confuses me more and I honestly don't understand what is happening. And I think part of it is because my head is fuzzy and my body feels wrecked and battered. But I still try to keep my mind on track, trying to figure out what Daryl Dixon is doing at this very moment. Which is crouching down on one knee, leveling him down to my sitting down height; his expression holds one of worry, sternness and determination. He looks right into my eyes and raises his hand towards my face, without thinking I squeeze my eyes shut and flinch away. I hold breath and wait there for what seems like hours but in reality only being a few minutes. I honestly think that he will inevitably point this out; most likely now or maybe later, but regardless he'll bring it up. We both know this that's for sure. I hear him blow out a sigh and shift heavily and noisily. Barely opening my eyes, I peak through my lashes to see what he's about to do; it startles me to find out that he is looking right at me, which lets me know that he is aware that I'm peaking. With knowing this, I open my eyes and look straight at him. And I decide to put on a front of fearlessness and a bold attitude that shows challenge; if he's going to interrogate me he might as well get to the point. So I jut out my chin and raise an eyebrow, looking him straight in the eyes. He narrows his eyes and shifts once more until he is in equal height of me. "You've been abused." It is straight to the point with no nonsense lacing with his voice. I better nip this one before it starts up and turns into something big. "It doesn't matter now. What's done is done and nothing can be done about it. I'm not getting beaten anymore so there's no reason to worry about it."

He looks as if he earnestly wants to argue with my words but I know he realizes I'm correct. "We'll talk about this later." And with that, he leaves me alone on the subject…at least for now. "Now, you are gonna listen to me. You are gonna leave your skinny little ass on this couch and not get up. You're in no condition to do anything right now. And you are gonna let me take a look at you and then you're gonna rest. Is that clear?" He sets his stern gaze on me and awaits my answer of confirm on my understanding. "As clear as creek water." I nod to him and relax against the couch. He rises from his crouch and leans over me to check my temperature, which should be a little heated from a most likely newly infected wound from the wreck. And he just confirms my idea, seeing as he frowns deeply and his forehead creases while grabbing my arm and checking from there. He then pulls away from me and digs into his bag and brings out Tylenol and a bottle of water and has me take them. Afterwards I show him where my injuries are; small gashes on my right ankle, head and arms. He easily medicates those and patches them up in less than twenty minutes. When all of the injuries and concerns are taken care of we both eat a bit of the food with us, but not too much so as we can ration are supplies as much as we can.

"Do you think they'll find us…or at least the car?" I randomly blurt out; I just can't stand the thought that maybe they might not find us.

"Maybe; it just depends when they realize we aren't gonna show up."

"When do you think that will happen?"

"Not too long; Rick will notice pretty fast. When you're up and ready, we'll head for the car and wait there."

"We can move now, I'm more than ready to move. The faster we are in the location the better. And by the way you talk about how fast Rick will find us, we should go ahead and move locations."

"Not until you are _**physically ready**_ not _**mentally.**_ Stop lyin to yourself, we both know you're not ready yet."

I let out an exasperated sigh and instantly shoot back a reply. "Oh come on, I've been through worse and still functioned and traveled around. And if I can do that, I can handle the location transfer just fine. And you agreed with me just a few minutes ago, that we do _**need**_ to transfer locations so Rick can find us."

He instantly appears in front of me and kneels down so once again we are eye level. "Now you listen to me girl, we are not hauling our asses out of here till I say so. So you will keep your damn ass there till we leave!"

"Yes sir." I grit out and yank my head to facing the old wooden boards of the floor. This is so frustrating; I mean how are we supposed to get back to Rick if we aren't even leaving until later. And by then it will most likely be or getting close to evening time which means it will be dark then or really close to it. I can almost guarantee that it will hinder our defenses against walkers because we will probably have a hard time seeing the stupid dead men. I almost voice this to him too, but I know it's futile and would just make more unnecessary struggle to our journey back to the wreckage. So I slump back and wait impatiently, feeling my gut twist with a bit of fear; the last time I waited until my injuries were in the condition for traveling, it cost the life of my previous camp. And when this pops up in my head, it renews my quest to convince Daryl we need to leave now with vigor. And this time I do voice my opinion, and I also know that I will have to tell him part of my life to convince him. I take a deep breath and start…

"We need to leave no-no wait, just hear me out. We need to leave…so history on my side isn't repeated…The last time I waited till my injuries were up for traveling conditions, something horrible happened…It's why I'm here now." I inform him and I promised myself after this happened and I tell someone I'd be strong. But now it feels impossible, for melancholy sets over me and my eyes start to tear up. I don't let this effect me and all I do is take a deep breath and continue. "My previous camp-or as you call it group, was in a rough patch and a lot of people didn't get food, including me. It made my body weak and I passed out. After that they made sit and rest before moving again, but no one-not even I noticed the horde of walkers that were about to invade us. And I'm almost positive that everyone there died but me…seeing as they wanted to get me out and not themselves. I don't want that to repeat! I don't want another death happen because of me! And for that reason, _**we. have. to. leave. now**_." And with that speech finished, I eye him pleadingly and warily. He seems to take this into consideration because he looks as if he's thinking on this deeply.

He nods towards me with his face grave but pity never crosses his face, which helps me because I _**hate**_ pity. "Alright, we'll leave now. But you take it easy, and so as I say."

"Deal!" I jump up from my seat on the couch and grab my bad from the floor and sling over my shoulder. I let him lead out the door and I follow him through. I just can't believe he actually agreed with me, or maybe he's just indulging me; but it still astonishes me.


	5. Chapter 5

Note(s): Sorry for not posting in a while, I have been very busy. But right now I have the time, so I will try to post as often as I can. I hope you enjoy!

From Thy Writer,

Allison Damon

Chapter 5

There are three reasons on why we are here, at the wreckage in a short amount of time in the situation we are in now. 1) I wanted to leave right there and then in the shack so there were no repeats of my past, 2) we need Rick to find us in order to be with the group and survive longer (seeing as here lately there is a more chance of surviving in numbers) and 3) the horde of walkers that were the cause of the wreckage in the first place did not leave but only traveled a short distance and drove us into hiding in the wrecked car; which was exactly an hour and a half ago. So here we are, squished together in a seriously broken car with no way to escape or defend ourselves. Blowing out a frustrated breathe, I watch the walkers scrabble at the door frantically while moaning and groaning loudly. They're desperate and aggravatingly loud and smell so bad I want to plug my nose, it's like they're stench gets worst every time and if it wasn't for the fact that I need my hands for defending myself I would have plugged my nose already. Getting bored, I glance over at Daryl to see how he is reacting and what he is doing at the moment to ward off his boredom, if he has any at all. His face is half shadowed and his countenance is full of concentration; his eyes training on the windshield of our upside down car. The more I study him, the more things I can pick out. His tense body informs me that he is ready for defending both of us, which can also be found out by his hand that is tightly clenching a knife in one hand and a pistol in the other. Biting my bottom lip, I turn to the front windshield and also observe the walkers in front of us. They hit the metal and glass with dull thuds, smearing their rotten blood all over the glass in random streaks; my eyes follow as their blood drips and trails all the way to the bottom of the glass. Returning my eyes back to the middle of the glass, I continue to observe their feeble attempt to gain access into the vehicle. I try not to let their horrid odor of rotting flesh or the bloody and peeling limbs gross me out or disturb me in any way. To so this I focus my thoughts in a more important area, on our rations and injuries. We don't have much food sadly, seeing as we only brought enough each to last for a few days if anything went wrong and until we meet up again; but if rationed correctly we can make them last a week between us – both food and water. And the fact that we have wounds doesn't help, we don't have a lot of medicine and the wounds could get infected when we run out; and the fact that we don't have space in here to dress properly and not at all for some. This metal death trap from hell with the devil's minions doesn't either, most likely we won't last long because this thing heats and cools to the extreme and right now it's scorching in here. But I don't believe we will end like this, because I have faith that Rick and the rest of the group _**will**_ find us and rescue us.

"What time do you think Rick and the everybody else find us?" I inquire and look at him expectantly, wandering what is reply will be. He looks at me with a curious expression with an eye brow raising high. It's like he is in disbelief on how I blindly believe that they will come save us. "What makes you believe that they can help us?"

" Well there are three reasons that I believe that they _**will**_ find and rescue us. 1) I have a gut feeling that tells me that I can trust you all, 2) you all have showed me that compassion to some people you believe you can trust - such as when you saved me and took me under your wing and 3) I have been chatting with Glenn and he as told me _**a lot**_ of stories." I explain to him while ticking them off with my fingers, chuckling when getting to Glenn. Humming he turns back to the front windshield, going back to keeping watch on the walkers. Okay then, no answer for me I think as I turn to the side window to also watch the walkers shuffle and groan. I then turn my thoughts to the threat at hand. There are three things that could bring us down to death if Rick doesn't arrive in time; we could run dry on both food and water, we could run our of medicine and get infection and that this metal death trap will over heat and cook us alive – then freezes until tomorrow. If only they were here now, then we could get out of this oven when they distract the walkers; it would be very easy honestly. I used to do it all the time with my other group and I can do it now; I just need an opening…which I don't have. Blowing out a frustrated breath and slump into my seat, looking at what's outside behind the horde of walkers. I can make out the greenery bracketing the road, bits of broken glass and chunks of metal scattered around and…two old vehicles? Jerking forward I try to get a closer look at the two old vehicles behind the walkers, counting how many feet it is from here to them. That's when an inspiration hits me like a freight train, a brilliant plan sparks into my thoughts. Leaning back I look around, trying to see what is the best route to take that has less walkers. The front windshield has a major build up, and both front passenger windows are more or less the same; the best route is to try to wedge myself and my bag into the back seat and through the back windshield. With this decided, I sit back in my seat and ready myself; slipping my back on my side and weapons at the ready. I take a few minutes to prepare myself mentally first, then I start to move. Maneuvering myself, I wiggle myself into the backseat and position myself for the launch out. Sucking in a breath, I start to count to three; one, two, _**three**_! Pulling back, I launch myself out and bust through the rest of the glass which snags on my clothes but doesn't hinder my momentum. I role on my shoulder as soon as it hits the ground and onto my knee, ignoring the bite in my knees from the glass.

Glancing around I move around the car slowly in a crouching position, making my way towards the woods for cover. I make it half way when I spot a metal rod on the ground by tree lining of the woods, and it's just what I need to complete my great plan of escape; if I accomplished this and keep both Daryl and I alive we can unite with the group, that is if he doesn't kill me himself. This is definitely a risky thing to do, especially with him. I keep looking around myself every little bit to make sure the coast is clear and I keep my knife handy to kill them silently if I have no choice. Movement in the corner of my eye alerts me of a walker, and I act as quickly as I can. I sweep my leg across the ground and knock the walker off it's legs, then pinning it down and stabbing it in the head; splattering only a bit of blood on my face. I then move off of it's body and continue to cross the rest of the asphalt, only running into an odd walker here and there and carry out the same tactic on them. It takes about ten long dragged out minutes until I finally make it to the metal rod and the tree line of the woods; and once I have the rod in hand I go into the woods and use that as my cover. With the cover I can travel faster, which only takes me five minutes to make it beside one of the old vehicles – which is an old blue truck. I sneak up to it after making my way out of the woods and open the door slower, so as to keep squeaking to a minimum of a few. I slip in and close the door gently and then proceed to hotwire it, hoping and praying that it will start. Every time I touch the wires together it sparks, but that is the only thing it does; I can't get it to start and I mentally start panicking. If I can't get this stupid truck to start then we're done for, that is unless I can scrounge up another plan; I'll just have to think of one while trying to get this metal hunk of junk to start. With renewed motivation, I frantically touch the wires together over and over but only getting the same result. "Damn it!" I mutter dropping the wires and stick my finger that got shocked, trying to use them from pain. "Okay, plan B it is."

No more sneaking around and being silence, it's time to make some noise. I put my knife in one hand and the metal rod in the other after I fasten the bag on my shoulder and hook and tighten the strap around my stomach. Opening the door I shove it open with my boot, hop out and walk around the truck; if I can almost hotwire a car the alarm should be able to work. Raising the rod back like preparing to bat at a baseball game, I let it fall with gravity and the force and best the windshield in which shatters the glass. Instantly the alarm sounds loudly and walkers turn toward me and the truck, they should be to me in about two minutes so as not to waste precious time I move on to the other old vehicle. An old car with lots of rust, an I pull back and swing and shattering its glass and setting its alarm off also. If I didn't have the walkers full attention before I have it now, and they drag and shuffle themselves toward me and the noise itself; thinking quickly I dart towards the woods and try to cover myself while speedily making my way back to Daryl. I jump over limbs and rocks and dodge trees and slide under limbs when needed; it doesn't take long to make it back to Daryl and looks both impressed and ready to blow his top. Well there went my hope and dreams of living another day, I can see it now 'death by Daryl Dixon, the group hunter.' Wiping those thoughts out of my mind, I make my way to Daryl and take initiative of the situation at hand; grabbing Daryl's elbow I drag him into the woods and down the street in the direction opposite of the blaring alarms. I then urge him into a jog and then a run so as to put more space between us and the walkers as quickly as possible while watching for any walkers that are traversing towards the alarm from another location. I spot five of them ahead of us and I ready myself to kill them, though I wait until we are in distance that is close enough for me to work with. Plus Daryl can't use his cross bow because it would slow us down when collecting the arrows. Once we are in the distance I need, I let go of Daryl and drop to the ground and slide and swipe my legs and knock two of them to the ground. I then stab them in the had, moving from one to the next and jump up and swipe my knife across the third walker's head which kills it instantly. Turning on my heel I prepare myself for the attack against the fourth one, only to find Daryl killing the fourth and fifth. Seeing as there were no more walkers left to deal with yet, we continue traveling forward with readied weapons, hopeful hearts and strong wills.

**WD**

It's dark now and the only thing illuminating our path is the moon beams that shine though the trees and light up the sky. We walk in silence, only emitting a noise when signaling each other when spotting a small group of walkers or debating on whether or not to take a new path or not. I don't know if he is disappointed or just plain angry that I impulsively sprung a plan without notifying him. I mean when I things impulsively last time my new group wasn't too happy. This silence is actually worrying me a lot, because this kind of silent broody Daryl is really intimidating; plus the fact that I actually care that I do make him angry or disappointed. I mean he is the person I have spent the most time with other than Glenn since I lost my last group and I don't want to hurt the ones I have now; even though I don't know them well yet. In this new world when you find people that are worth keeping, hold them close because they can be taken away from you before you know it. So breathing out to calm my nerves, and ready myself for what is to come.

"Daryl?" I glance at him, waiting for him to answer me.

"…" He doesn't answer me and it scares the _**hell**_ out of me and I don't know what to do; I don't know how to handle silence. My whole life I have dealt with bullies yelling freak at me and my father beating me and screaming about my defects and faults, but never in my life have I ever dad to deal with silence. It's freaking me out! I can think of the most complicated plans but I don't know what to do, this is out of my turf. I can't be impulsive or sarcastic to make things better or save my hide or anyone else's. I just wish I have a handle on my mouth before I babbling my heart feelings to someone I hardly know. I guess that's to late now.

"Ok look, I know your upset. I should of have told you about my plan, but I just couldn't take the thought of you saying no. I mean if you would have said no then we would be as good as dead, and it would be just like when I lost my former group but in a different way. And I just saw an opening and I couldn't pass it up because that would mean saving us and then we could make it back to the group. And I'm sorry if your disappointed that I carried though, but could you just say something. I can handle beatings and yelling and screaming but silence I – I can't. It's freaking me out man, it's freaking me out! I can't handle it – I can't! So if you could ju –."

"Enough." I click my mouth shut as I stop before I bump into Daryl who has stopped and is standing in front of me; having my full attention. "You'll have only a knife to protect yourself around me and the rest unless said I say so. And let's get something straight, no one is going to beat you while in this group while we can help it; and it is wrong." And with that, he turns and continues walking forward and after a few seconds of shock I whisper an 'okay' and follow him a few paces behind. Ten minutes into more silence (a better and more relaxed silence mind you), I spot a yellow light ahead and instantly I know what it is. "Daryl they found us! They're here!" I hastily say in excitement and start to jog towards them with Daryl beside me, while waving and trying to get their attention. The vehicles stop twenty feet away from us and then Rick and Glenn and Michonne step out of the car and approach us. Glenn grabs me and raps an arm around me and Rick walks beside Daryl while Michonne is in the middle of are pairs. We speedily walk to the car and pile in. It relieve me to finally be back with the group even if it means my weapons other than my knife is taken away along with my freedom temporarily.


	6. Chapter 6

Announcement!

In the comments I said that this account was no longer active but I found a way to fix the hacking problem. I will not post this story on my other profile (Allison James Damon) but I will keep it as a backup profile just in case something happens again. Thanks to much for putting up with me and my problems/delays I have had!

From Thy Writer,

Allison Damon


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